YOB

The sound, or rather mastering, is problematic here, this is probably the dullest sounding album I've ever heard, it's a constant drone of flat mid tones, with nothing in the lower or higher end of the spectrum. There's almost no space or dynamics in this sound at all. And that in combination with music that is also insistingly monotonous. No, it's not a winning combination. Quite a disappointment after the towering wall of sound on their preceding album.

The songwriting itself is quite satisfactory, it's back-to-basics down-to-earth doom sludge metal similar to the mentioned bands and Cathedral's early work. The droning riffs are entrancing, the vocals are vile, the mood is muddy and desolate, the intensity matches that of Neurosis. Really, all the ingredients for an excellent sludge album are here. I just wish it hadn't been mastered by someone in dire need for a hearing-aid.

Doom metal. A genre dominated by crushing guitars, plodding rhythms, and a foreboding atmosphere. Such terms could begin to describe the sort of music that Yob make, a band based in Portland, Oregon. With their 2011 album 'Atma', Yob's doomy style of stoner metal is sure to please adherents of the genre, although there is not much more to the music here than is advertised. For epic, grimy doom metal rooted in the 1970's tradition, look no further.

Upon first listen to 'Atma', the closest thing I could compare Yob to would be a rawer Black Sabbath, fused with Mastodon, providing they were too busy refilling the bong water to focus on their more technical aspects. 'Atma' is a dirty-sounding, sludgy album, and filled up with throwback riffs from the time when metal was still getting up on its own two feet. The vocals start off sounding much like Ozzy Osbourne's, or even a vocalist from Mastodon; nasal and moody. As the album goes on though, Scott Kelly from the legendary post-metal act Neurosis comes in to make an appearance on two of the tracks, and his parts seem directly catered to him and the sort of music that Neurosis makes. Think the long, brooding sections of mellowness in 'The Eye Of Every Storm' and this will account for an elements of the music that Yob makes here. Barring that, Yob's heavier gears switch them into something of a retro-doom act; heavy as all hell, but fairly simplistic in its sound. This formula can be very fun and enjoyable at times, but the effect starts to wear off when the sound is drawn out much longer than feels appropriate. It is granted that a tenant of doom metal is to make drawn out compositions, but here, a little more variety or build-up in the way these songs develop would have done so much to make 'Atma' a grander experience.

'Adrift In The Ocean' is the greatest piece on the album, closing the album with more dynamic and dramatic tension than anything else on the album combined. Scott Kelly makes another cameo here, and while I don't care much for his vocals, they are used very well in the context of this style. Surely, Yob is not a band that fits into my tastes all that much; I find them a little uneventful, although the music can be very fun. There are great riffs here, and it is quite a good album, but there's not enough on 'Atma' to keep me coming back months from now.

Stylistically, Atma is angst-ridden, sludge-induced doom metal with obvious nods in the direction of Electric Wizard, Neurosis, and Black Sabbath. Not the most original sound out there, but it can end up quite successful when done correctly. Unfortunately, Atma falls into the trap of becoming too repetitive and simplistic for its own good, often coming across as monotonous and even a bit boring. Despite the incredibly lengthy songs, most of them only have enough material to justify only a fraction of their current duration. The minimal variation between different songs makes listening to the entire album in one sitting even more of a daunting task. "Adrift in the Ocean" is really the only track that differs significantly from any others. The riffs are simply too unmemorable and generic to come even close to justifying a 55 minute playing time.

Although it may seem like I'm coming down extremely hard on Atma (which, in a sense, I am), the album isn't all bad. The musicianship, though not technically outstanding, is powerful and convincing in execution, and the production's raw and filthy sound suits the music perfectly. There are also a fair amount of high-quality riffs here, even if they still feel too drawn-out.

Atma wasn't an album that impressed me, to say the least, but YOB fanatics and die- hard doom metal fans may find more worth here than this humble reviewer. I know this album has been getting plenty of positive press attention since its release, so I must be in a slightly confused minority in this case. I just don't understand what all the fuss is about. 2 stars is the most I can give here, but check it out anyway if you think you may enjoy this one. More variation and originality will be crucial to my enjoyment, however.